Full Profile

Leroy's main research interests lie in cancer chemotherapy, involving carrier systems that are used as potential prodrugs, heat shock proteins, in addition to specializing in establishing analytical method validations for actives in various formulations using HPLC as the main analytical tool.

After completing his BSc(Hons) at the University College Cardiff, Leroy continued his interest in chemistry by studying for PhD in organic medicinal chemistry within the same university, synthesising numerous (2-fluoropheny1) propan-1-ols and converting them to the corresponding chromans under the influence of rhodium catalyst. His first postdoctoral position was at the University of Reading as a BTG Research Fellow and was involved in the design and synthesis of novel anticancer drugs activated by bioreduction.

His second postdoctoral position was at University College London as a MRC Research Fellow carrying out the synthesis of active anti-viral agents. Leroy also worked for four years within national and international pharmaceutical companies, namely Cascade Biochem (Whiteknight, Reading) and the Jordanian Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company (Amman, Jordan), where he gained valuable experience in the areas of GMP, GLP, QC and R/D. He joined UCLan in September 2001, appointed as a lecturer in pharmaceutical sciences and shortly after became a senior lecturer and is currently the course leader of Biological Sciences.

Research

Main research interests lie in cancer chemotherapy involving carrier systems used as potential prodrugs. In addition, he is actively involved in identifying therapeutic targets for malignant brain tumours and developing molecular novel approaches to include the molecular chaperones hsp70 and hsp90. He is also interested in establishing analytical method validations for actives in various formulations, preformulation and bioequivalent studies, using HPLC as the main analytical tool.

Projects

Titles of current research projects:

17-AAG and sihsp90 combinational therapy as a novel anti-cancer approach

Hsp70, a therapeutic Biomarker for Gliomas

Design of a Stability Indicating Method for the Analysis of Patrin 2 (Lomeguatrib) using HPLC

Design of a HPLC method of analysis for measuring curcumin and methotrexate used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Memberships

Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), Chartered Chemist.

Associate member of the Society of Biology.

Teaching Activities and Responsibilities

Course Leader of Biological Sciences, presently delivering Level 1 chemistry/mathematics, practical/analytical techniques at Level 2 and 4, medicinal chemistry at Level 2 and 4, research projects at Level 3 and 4 and some aspects of preformulation at Level 4. Leroy is also interested in analysing how students’ progress in their learning once the fundamental tools have been understood in addition to the dynamics involved in “Learning within groups”.

External Activities

Served as a Member of the Editorial Board for the Analytical Profiles of Drug Substances and Excipients.

Presently a member of the review panel for the Journal of Chromatography B, the Journal Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Talanta and Chromatographia. Society of Biology University Representative.